The use of computerized printing systems has seen a considerable increase in business forms of all types. One type of form that is seeing a substantial increase in usage is a business form that incorporates a removable identification card. Identification cards of the type of concern may be used for a large variety of purposes including conventional identification or as cards that identify a person as being a member of a particular group such as a charitable, environmental or health maintenance organization. They may also be used to indicate insurance limits for a particular individual as well as many, many other diverse purposes. That is to say, as used herein, the term "identification card" refers to cards incorporated in business forms that may be used for any of a vast number of purposes, and not simply solely for purely identification purposes.
Cards of this type are increasingly favored over more conventional type of cards such as the conventional, plastic card such as a credit card. Conventional cards require embossing of so-called variable information into the card itself and this is considerably more expensive than merely printing the information on the card as can be accomplished with a business form that incorporates an identification card.
In the usual case, such a business form incorporating an identification card will be formed of a base sheet of relatively destructible material as, for example, paper. To provide a measure of toughness and indestructibility to the identification card, it will be typically provided, on one or both sides, with a laminate layer of tough, transparent, relatively indestructible material as, for example, polyester film.
In manufacturing such forms, so-called fixed information will be printed on the base sheet prior to the application of one or both polyester laminate layers. Fixed information is the information that remains the same from one card to the next in a series of cards. Variable information may be applied to the card either before or after the application of the laminate layer or layers thereto. Variable information is information that will vary from one card to the next as, for example, a name, an address, insurance policy limits, etc. The time at which variable information is applied depends upon whether it is being applied by the manufacturer of the business form, or the customer of the manufacturer. When the manufacturer is applying the variable information, it will be done prior to the application of the laminate layer while if the customer is applying the variable information, it will be applied to the laminate layer on the fully assembled business form.
It is, of course, necessary that the identification card be readily removable from the remainder of the business form by the recipient of the card. At the same time, it is necessary that the card be firmly attached to the remainder of the business form during processing and the imprintation of both fixed and variable information thereon. To accomplish both purposes, many business forms incorporating identification cards define the card by a line of perforation. The recipient breaks the perforations in the line, thereby severing the identification card from the remainder of the business form. One problem with such a construction is the fact that the laminate layer is formed of tough, relatively indestructible material to give body and strength to the remainder of the card. It is, by nature, difficult to tear and as a consequence, difficulty may be experienced in breaking the perforations in a line of perforation.
To avoid this, resort has been made to a material referred to as "Lite-Lift dry material" furnished by JAC paper. This is a material that adheres to the card and which allows the card to be lifted from the remainder of the form with the Lite-Lift dry material remaining with the business form so that the identification card will be free from the material.
When using such a material, it is desirable to incorporate an adhesive free area at each edge of the card and then tip the card onto the business form that serves as the carrier for the same.
However, as card size may vary to some degree, the Lite-Lift dry material must be custom manufactured for each different type of card to provide the adhesive free area. This means that a certain amount of lead-time is required to order and obtain the Lite-Lift dry material before the business forms incorporating the removal card can be completely manufactured.
Furthermore, Lite-Lift dry material is not inexpensive and therefore, its cost limits customer demand for this sort of product.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the above problems.